Monday, February 8, 2010

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."James Madison

"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?—every, every minute?"Thornton Wilder

"Political tags — such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth — are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. The former are idealists acting from highest motives for the greatest good of the greatest number. The latter are surly curmudgeons, suspicious and lacking in altruism. But they are more comfortable neighbors than the other sort."— Robert A. Heinlein

I raised two children on the fundamental principle that they either control themselves or they will be controlled. They have both attained the age of majority intact, clear eyed and fiercely dependently independent. They know who is in charge and more importantly who IS NOT.

It's a daunting challenge to be a law abiding citizen. In fact, it is close -and getting closer- to being an impossibility. If all of our rules and laws were 100% enforced 100%, nobody would be innocent. We use clever-ties to avoid this reality.Judicial discretion, selective enforcement and lawyerly maneuverings prevent the natural outcome of our dichotomy of Heinlein's truth.

I doubt the team behind Audi's entry in the Superbowl commercial contest was trying to expose the absurdity of our law and order zealots. It is unlikely that many of its viewers put 2 and 2 together to see that we are kidding ourselves. It's also unlikely that a critical mass will ascend to positions of effect to reverse the law and order juggernaut. By nature, the much needed ingredient for something different is genetically predisposed NOT to meddle. The systems, processes and institutions reject and/or repel anyone who dares make the attempt.

If you watched the commercial did you find it absurd? Was its premise so far-fetched?Comparatively, is the concept of anarchy worse than absurd control freaks woven into every nuance of existence?